VSM is a hardware-independent Broadcast Control System that runs on an IP backbone and is designed to integrate easily with industry-standard broadcast equipment.
Al Mamlaka TV, Jordans first state-funded public service broadcaster, has put in place a sophisticated VSM (Virtual Studio Manager) solution from German manufacturer, Lawo, for facility-wide, overall broadcast system control. The system was integrated by Qvest Media, who was responsible for the entire design, build and integration of the infrastructure for efficient station operations.
Speaking about the VSM installation, Ahmad Al Kayal, Head of Sales at Qvest Media in Dubai, said: The major task and benefit of using the VSM system is that it creates a familiar workflow for all operators in all news studios and the MCR. VSM is the only control system on the market able to work in a fully IP-based environment and with third-party equipment. The implementation of VSM across Al Mamlaka TV proves its ability to provide the overall control system, regardless of the hardware used and the overall system design. Thanks to a virtual IP switching layer, the VSM system allows to set up a workflow in future news studios that is familiar to users by virtue of their established workflows.”
VSM is a hardware-independent Broadcast Control System that runs on an IP backbone and is designed to integrate easily with industry-standard broadcast equipment on the market including video routers, video switchers, audio routers, audio consoles, multiviewers, intercoms, modular equipment, and other third-party devices.
VSM provides the seamless glue among equipment from different manufacturers, providing recall and logic control possibilities system-wide. Control interfaces range from hardware LCD button panels to software panel clients with highly custom configurable GUIs. With a modern TCP/IP backbone and powerful redundancy strategies, VSM can control complete broadcast facilities, giving users the freedom to create their own workflows and production setups.
Al Mamlaka TVs broadcast facility provides complete redundancy, including AV and broadcast IT equipment, and is based on virtualised systems. From the start, the new building was designed to be centrally managed, and the entire infrastructure to be easily expandable to meet future requirements. The other mandate was that the produced media content needed to be made available as a live stream, and the production workflow had to be designed to support 24/7 operation on all channels.
For news production, Al Mamlaka TV uses an all-digital production chain, from the ingest of various live sources and newsfeeds, over news content production, to playout and distribution. The main workflows comprise the planning of news shows and productions, the ingest of live sources and recorded contributions, the news production and approval process, and an automatic transfer of approved material to transmission and deep archiving.
